Everyone Belongs
A Toolkit for
Applying
Intersectionality
By Joanna Simpson
CRIAW/ICREF
June 2009
Everyone Belongs:
A toolkit for applying intersectionality
1st edition
May 2009
Written by: Joanna Simpson
Project Officer
CRIAW-ICREF
This toolkit was developed through a collaborative process with CRIAW’s
partners for the Embracing the Complexities of Women’s Lives Project.
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW)
408-151 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5H3
Phone: 613-563-0681 Fax: 613-563-0682 TDD/ATS : 613-563-1921
Email: info@criaw-icref.ca
www.criaw-icref.ca
Everyone Belongs…
This toolkit was developed in response to the needs expressed by CRIAW’s
partners for the Embracing the Complexity of Women’s Lives project.
CRIAW would like to thank our partners for their dedication to this project
and for their time spent organizing the workshops and focus groups,
participating in meetings and exploring intersectionality with us.
For this project, CRIAW worked with the Social Planning Council of
Winnipeg, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa and the Saskatchewan
Intercultural Association.
Social Planning Council of
Ottawa
We are grateful for the financial contribution of the Women’s Program,
Status of Women Canada towards this project, including all of the
workshops, focus groups and the development of this toolkit.
The opinions expressed in this document do not necessarily represent the
official policy of Status of Women Canada.
Some of the opinions expressed in this document may not reflect the
opinions or policies of our partners.
We would like to acknowledge the many participants for their feedback and
contributions.
We thank Ruby Dhand, Jane Robinson, Judy White and Erin Williams of the
ECWL Project Steering Committee as well as Fathiya Wais, the CRIAW
Coordinator, our partners, the CRIAW Board of Directors and Past CRIAW
Executive Director, Lise Martin, for their help with the editing of this toolkit.
We also thank Nyenyezi Sanginga for the layout of this toolkit and Michelle
Briand for translating the document into French.
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Everyone Belongs…
Table of Contents
1. Intersectionality displayed in a wheel diagram.………………………P. 5
2. Introduction to the project and intersectionality……………………..P. 6
•
•
•
The project and its partners
Key points to consider regarding this project and toolkit
How you can use this tool
3. Intersectionality……………………………………………………………..P. 7
•
•
Intersectionality includes everybody
How and why this perspective can benefit your organization
4. Policies that reflect intersectionality……………………………….....P. 10
•
•
•
•
•
CRIAW and intersectional feminist frameworks
Examples of policy changes at CRIAW
Policies relating to accessibility
Policies relating to human resources
Considerations for Boards of Directors (checklist)
5. Developing services, programs and projects that reflect
intersectionality..................................................................................P. 18
•
•
•
Reaching the most marginalized
Thinking beyond your deliverables
How to evaluate your services/programs/projects
6. Research that reflects intersectionality……………………………....P. 22
•
•
•
Applying an intersectional perspective to research
Involving people who experience marginalization in the research
process
A case in point: intersectional research on the Vancouver transit
system
7. CRIAW’s partners making a difference in their communities…….P. 25
•
•
•
The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
The Social Planning Council of Ottawa
The Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
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Everyone Belongs…
8. Community education activities for exploring intersectionality….P. 31
•
•
•
Intersectionality string game
How many of you…..exploring our own oppressions
Invisible Backpack of Privilege activity
9. Resources…………………………………………………………………..P. 35
•
•
•
•
•
Accessibility resources
Resources relating to intersectionality
Research
Resources relating to policy development
Websites
10. Glossary of terms………………………………………………………....P. 38
11. End notes………... ………………………………………………………..P. 44
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Intersectionality displayed in a wheel diagram
Indigeneity Education
Occupation
Gender
Caste
Class
Geographic
Background
Income
Location
Social
Status
Life
Unique
Experience
Sexuality
Circumstances of
Skin
Spirituality Power, Privilege
Colour
and identity
Family
HIV
Refugee
Status
Status
Disability
Status
Housing
Experience of
Work
Situation
Racialization
History
Age
Citizenship
Status
•
•
•
•
Religion
Innermost circle represents a person’s unique circumstances.
Second circle from inside represents aspects of identity.
Third circle from the inside represents different types of discrimination/isms/attitudes that
impact identity.
Outermost circle represents larger forces and structures that work together to reinforce
exclusion.
Note it is impossible to name every discrimination, identity or structure. These are just
examples to help give you a sense of what interectionality is.
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Introduction to the project and intersectionality
The project and its partners
In 2008, the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
(CRIAW), received a grant from the Women’s Program, Status of Women
Canada, to undertake a one-year, community-based project called Embracing the
Complexity of Women’s Lives. Throughout the initiative, CRIAW worked
collaboratively with three different Canadian social justice organizations to
explore how intersectionality could be applied in practical ways to their policies,
services, governance and other work.
For this project, CRIAW worked in partnership with the Social Planning Council of
Winnipeg, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa and the Saskatchewan
Intercultural Association. Workshops and focus groups were held with staff,
board members and community members involved with each partner group, on
the topic of intersectionality.
The goal of intersectionality, as CRIAW sees it, is to strive for a world in which
everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live, can live violence-free,
access safe housing, have their voice heard and enjoy freedom from
discrimination.
The goal of the workshops was to facilitate discussions on how an intersectional
approach could foster each partner group’s existing work. The project also
sought to determine what tools CRIAW could develop to help with the application
of intersectionality in non-profit groups. The structure and content of this toolkit is
based on participant feedback received from the workshops and focus groups
and is designed to respond to needs expressed by the partner groups.
Key points to consider regarding this project and toolkit
The following are important points to consider when reading the content in this
toolkit:
•
•
CRIAW has tried very hard to capture a variety of perspectives and
explore the complex nature of intersectionality; however, due to
restrictions of time, resources and the number of partners CRIAW was
able to work with we could not fully capture all of the different perspectives
in great detail. For example, CRIAW did not work with any organizations
serving Aboriginal Peoples so this toolkit provides a limited perspective
with respect to First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
Intersectionality takes into account how different kinds of discrimination
work together. This toolkit lists many of those discriminations in different
places; however, it should be noted that when listing discriminations it is
hard to capture every experience or combination of experiences. Some
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Everyone Belongs…
•
•
•
people believe that there is no end to diversity or discrimination and so this
toolkit was not able to list every identity or form of discrimination. We did
try to emphasize that it is not possible to look at every intersection at once
but that it is important to listen and learn from people’s unique histories.
We tried as much as possible to make sure that this toolkit used plain
language.
CRIAW’s previous publications mostly use the term Intersectional Feminist
Frameworks. During our workshops, participants gave CRIAW the
feedback that the term intersectionality resonated more for them than
intersectional feminist frameworks; therefore, the term intersectionality will
be used throughout most of the toolkit.
This toolkit is a living document. If you have suggestions for improvement,
we would be happy to get your feedback.
How you can use this tool
This toolkit has been separated into different topic areas so that you can view the
section(s) that are most relevant for you.
The topics in this toolkit reflect some of the suggestions and discussions that took
place during the intersectionality workshops, including applying an intersectional
perspective to policies, services and programs, research and community
education. This toolkit is not designed to be a critical reflection piece. This toolkit
is designed to be practical and to be accessible to many non profit organizations
with varying missions and mandates. To learn more about the history and
philosophy regarding intersectionality, we recommend reading some of the
resources listed in the Resource section.
Although intersectionality can be hard to apply given limitations with staff,
volunteer and financial resources that many non-profit groups experience, this
resource is intended to offer concrete and practical suggestions and tools for
organizations that are interested in opening their doors wider to the communities
they serve.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality includes everybody
Intersectionality is not something new. Many activists and thinkers helped to
inform our current understanding of intersectional issues, particularly people who
were part of human rights movements.1 Many grassroots women’s groups in the
1970s and 1980s sought to break down the hierarchies that create inequalities,
such as patriarchy and capitalism. Also, women like Sojourner Truth have
contributed to the development of intersectionality. Truth was a former slave in
the United States who demonstrated that the concept of “woman” was culturally
constructed through the discrepancies between her experience as an African-
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Everyone Belongs…
American woman and the qualities ascribed to women, during a speech that was
recorded at a women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851.2
The actual term intersectionality first appeared in an article by Kimberlé Williams
Crenshaw, published in 1991, which articulated the relationship between sex,
gender, nation, race and class:
http://www.wcsap.org/Events/Workshop07/mapping-margins.pdf
Crenshaw wanted to show how black African American women had been
excluded from women’s equality struggles, particularly as it pertained to violence
against women.3
Although the word intersectionality is a more recent term, it should be noted that
for centuries, Aboriginal Peoples have been using a holistic approach to health
and wellbeing. Indeed “[…] for Indigenous Peoples living in Canada and around
the world, the inter-relationships between the physical, mental, spiritual and
emotional aspects of being are integral to individual and community health.”4
Intersectionality takes a holistic approach because it involves looking at things
together, for example, viewing race and gender together, as opposed to viewing
them in isolation.
So then, a big part of intersectionality is about taking into account people’s
experiences and identities without placing them into fixed categories. Consider
for a moment this quote from poet and activist Audre Lorde: “As a forty-nine-yearold Black lesbian feminist Socialist mother of two, including one boy, and a
member of an inter-racial couple, I usually find myself a part of some group
defined as other, deviant, inferior, or just plain wrong.”5
In order to understand Lorde’s experience, we can’t just apply a strictly anti-racist
or anti-homophobic or gender equality perspective. Her identities cannot be seen
as standing alone and like Lorde, we all have our own unique histories and
experiences that determine our social location. However, depending on who we
are, we can experience greater or lesser degrees of privilege and exclusion.
Sometimes we can be privileged in some ways and not in others.
The rationale for an intersectional approach though, is not to show who is worse
off in society but as the Association for Women’s Rights in Development notes
“[…] to reveal meaningful distinctions and similarities in order to overcome
discriminations and put the conditions in place for all people to fully enjoy their
human rights.”6 In this sense, intersectionality includes everybody.
Although the term intersectionality arose out of feminism, it can be applied to the
experiences and circumstances of people of all genders. Furthermore,
intersectionality is centred on the perspectives of those with the least amount of
power, which are more often women and girls.7
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How and why this perspective can benefit your organization
We all want to be included, to be safe and to be financially secure. Yet this is not
the case for everyone. While technology has rapidly increased so has the gap
between the rich and poor. Take Canada for example--a country which until the
most recent 2009 recession had boasted a decade of surpluses. In a country that
had excess money, there were still homeless people, people without safe
housing and women enduring violence from their partners.
In Canada, there are a disproportionate number of sole support mothers,
disabled, elderly, racialized and immigrant women who are living in poverty.8
Here is one example that shows some income related statistics from the 2006
Canadian census comparing Canadian born men and women to men and women
who immigrated to Canada. The age range for the people represented in this
data is 25-54. Note: Recent Immigrants for 2005 is defined by Statistics Canada
as immigrants who immigrated to Canada between 2000 and 2004.
Median Earnings/year
Canadian
Canadian- Immigrant Immigrant Recent
born
born
population population Immigrant
population population (men)
(women)
population
(men)
(women)
(men)
$ 62,566
$ 44,545
$ 42,998
$ 30,633
$ 30,332
With a
University
Degree
$ 25,590
$ 33,814
$ 22,382
$ 24,470
Without a $ 40,235
University
Degree
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census data (for the year 2005)9
Recent
Immigrant
population
(women)
$ 18,969
$ 14,233
Even though these statistics only provide limited information, they do show an
intersection between immigration status, arrival to Canada, education and
gender. As the barriers increase, so too does the severity of the poverty. For
instance, women without university degrees who are recent immigrants to
Canada earn a lower salary on average than the overall immigrant population
and over $10, 000 less than Canadian born women without university degrees.
Furthermore, women in each category earn substantially less than men and even
Canadian born women with a university degree only earn about $4, 000 more a
year than Canadian born men without a university degree. Women who are
recent immigrants earn only $14, 233/year on average which is very low for a
single person. A woman making that income, living with a disability and raising
three children alone, will experience even greater hardship.
Keep in mind that there are differences in earnings within and between groups
and individuals and that statistics do not take into account individual histories and
experiences. Differences in power, privilege and poverty are much more complex
than this.
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Everyone Belongs…
In order to create a fair and equal society, it is very important to include those
who are most marginalized and advocate for more inclusive policies and
programs. Intersectionality offers a perspective that takes into account the full
range of identities and circumstances facing people. Applying intersectionality to
our work means that we, as people, have to change the way we think about and
view things like identity, power and equality.10 When no one is excluded, we all
benefit!
Policies that reflect intersectionality
Applying an intersectional lens to policy means that our internal operations and
structures would be critically examined to make sure they reflect diverse
women’s interests and experiences.11 It is not about accommodating people, but
rather, it is about putting a structure in place that is inclusive to all. A participant
in one of the intersectionality workshops pointed out that for an organization to
apply this perspective, intersectionality has to be a fundamental mindset.
CRIAW and intersectional feminist frameworks
Developing policies that reflect intersectionality takes time and commitment.
Throughout the years, CRIAW has had to adapt and refine its policies to become
more inclusive as an organization; however, none of these changes happened
overnight. Rather, they happened incrementally throughout the years as new
situations and issues emerged. Moreover, CRIAW has not finished making
changes-shifting to an intersectional framework is a work in progress. In some
ways, the work is never complete because issues and politics will always shift
and change over time and as organizations, we will have to adapt.
For some time, CRIAW has been looking at alternative ways of doing social
justice work, which came out of the recognition that women’s realities revolve
around much more than just their gender. In 2004, CRIAW began exploring
intersectional feminist frameworks (IFFs) as a way of re-thinking mainstream
approaches to social and economic justice. CRIAW also began to find ways of
using the framework to improve internal policies and research on women.
For CRIAW, “IFF’s attempt to understand how multiple forces work together and
interact to reinforce conditions of inequality and social exclusion. IFFs examine
how factors including socio-economic status, race, class, gender, sexualities,
ability, geographic location, refugee and immigrant status, combine with broader
historical and current systems of discrimination such as colonialism and
globalization to simultaneously determine inequalities among individuals and
groups.”12
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Examples of policy changes at CRIAW
In the late 1980s, CRIAW, along with other social justice organizations, began to
recognize the need to become more diverse and inclusive. CRIAW slowly began
to implement policies to become inclusive to more groups, for example, racialized
women. Later, the organization came to the realization that simply adding groups
or categories of people was not enough. That is when intersectional feminist
frameworks were developed.
The following are a few examples of how CRIAW developed policies to
correspond with its overall vision of creating an organization where women
across Canada could fully participate as board members, employees, volunteers
and allies.
Examples:
(a) Greater inclusion of francophone women on the CRIAW board (19901991)
In 1990, CRIAW Board Members proposed the following amendments to the
constitution:
1. To increase the pool from which the President Elect may be chosen.
2. To broaden participation on the CRIAW Board and committees.
3. To increase Francophone representation on the Board.
The process of making these amendments took a year to complete. It began in
1990 and the amendments were passed in November of 1991. Within that frame
of time, proposed amendments were sent to all of CRIAW’s Members prior to the
Annual General Meeting (AGM). During the AGM, the amendments were
proposed and discussed, with the feedback of the Members.
The whole idea of increasing Francophone representation on the Board was to
provide more opportunities for Francophone women living outside the Province of
Quebec to be involved with CRIAW, for example, New Brunswick, Ontario,
Manitoba, etc. As a bilingual organization, this was something that CRIAW felt
was important. Currently 25% of Board Members must be Francophone.
(b) Development of CRIAW’s vision statement (1991-1992)
In 1991, CRIAW participated in an Anti-racism conference in Toronto. During the
conference CRIAW went through a process of analyzing the organization in
terms of its accessibility and explored how racism was occurring both within
CRIAW and within society as a whole. Part of the process involved a discussion
about how CRIAW wanted to proceed with respect to diversifying the
organization.
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Everyone Belongs…
CRIAW felt that it could diversify the organization by building broader
representation among its board, staff and volunteers by including more “[…]
racialized women, women from different cultural backgrounds, women with
disabilities, poor women, women who did not work in universities, working class
women, lesbian women, rural women, francophone women,” amongst others.13
After the Anti-Racism Conference, CRIAW began to re-think what it wanted to
accomplish as an organization. In June of 1991, CRIAW’s Board of Directors had
a discussion about CRIAW’s vision and mandate. After fifteen years of
conducting feminist research, CRIAW felt that it was important to examine the
original objective of CRIAW to determine if it adequately reflected CRIAW’s
goals. One of the questions explored was whether or not CRIAW’s work
advanced the status of all women.
CRIAW made it a priority to develop a renewed vision statement, to clarify its role
and values and to develop priorities for the coming years.
At the November 1991 Board meeting, the Board agreed on a draft vision
statement and a set of goals and objectives. Once the draft was finished, it was
circulated to CRIAW’s Membership for comment, through its quarterly newsletter.
Following this, a special retreat was held in June of 1992, to consider the
comments from CRIAW’s Membership.
(c) Developing policies to reflect intersectional feminist frameworks (20032004)
The visioning process resumed in CRIAW in 2003 when the organization
developed the following vision statement with intersectionality in mind:
CRIAW is working to create a world in which individuals of all genders, races,
cultures, languages, incomes, abilities, sexualities, religions, identities, ages and
experiences fully partake of, and contribute to, a just, violence-free, balanced and
joyful society that respects the human dignity of all. It is a world constantly
opening to new ideas, new perspectives, new energy. It is a world where people
and communities share resources and work together, to form an integrated
picture in which every contribution is precious, and all people are valued and
useful. And it is a society connected to, and respectful of, the earth and the
universe.*
This vision statement is what guides the work of CRIAW today.
In November of 2003, a Strategic Planning Working Group, composed of CRIAW
staff and Board, met to develop a strategic plan framework. The framework
included a revision of CRIAW’s mission and the development of CRIAW’s
external strategic priorities, such as encouraging researchers and policy makers
to use an integrated feminist analysis.14
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One of the major areas of focus for CRIAW’s strategic planning process was its
internal governance and board structures, including board representation and
composition. The dialogue around board governance and composition continued
into 2004. Once again, the strong message that came through was the need to
be more representative of different groups at the board level. The point was
raised that at the time there was no representation of Aboriginal women or
women with visible disabilities on the board. It was felt that constitutional
amendments were needed in order to bring the missing voices to the table.
Along with passing the constitutional amendments, CRIAW also affirmed IFFs as
an overall approach for the organization. In the words of Jo-Anne Lee (CRIAW
President, 2004-2005): “The evolving IFF (Integrated Feminist Framework)
methodology will ensure that it is not just about race, class and gender, but also
about a political commitment and a value position with reference to social and
economic justice.”15
The following is a summary of the significant changes that were made to
CRIAW’s constitution, in an effort to increase Board diversity:
CRIAW’s Constitution prior to changes being made:
CRIAW’s Board had to be comprised of at least one Director from each province
and territory, along with six Directors at large, including at least one person from
Quebec. Beyond regional representation, there were no other specific criteria for
the Nominations Committee to consider.
CRIAW’s Constitution after changes were made:
Instead of having representatives from each province and territory, Directors are
now selected with particular attention to balancing the following criteria:
i.
Regional Representation:
Rather than having representation from each province and territory, six
different regions have been identified: British Columbia, the Prairies,
the Territories, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces.
ii.
Equity Groups:
Four different broad equity groups have been listed including racialized
women, women with disabilities, sexual minorities, and Aboriginal
women.
iii.
Language:
25% of Board Members must be Francophone. This percentage was
also reflected in the Official Languages policy. Prior to this, the policy
only stated that the official languages of CRIAW are English and
French and added that CRIAWs committees should incorporate
language diversity. There was no mandated percentage.
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Everyone Belongs…
iv.
Skills:
Women will also be identified based on the skills needed to carry out
CRIAW’s strategic priorities during a given point in time.
Policies relating to accessibility
Accessibility defined
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word ‘accessible’, means
“providing access.”16 The word ‘access’ means the “freedom or ability to obtain or
make use of something.”17 If we use this definition as a guide, being accessible
as an organization means that we need to make sure that people can make use
of our services, programs, research, activities, physical space and other areas of
our organizations.
Often accessibility is viewed strictly in terms of persons living with disabilities.
This section is designed to expand this view and consider other ways of being
accessible. Please note that these are just a few examples to get you thinking-it
is not an exhaustive list.
Accessibility for people with disabilities
According to a recent Canadian survey dealing with attitudes about people with
disabilities, only 1 in 10 people polled thought that persons living with disabilities
are fully included in society.18 In fact, the lack of inclusion of persons living with
disabilities, along with a lack of proper supports, contributes to the poverty that
many persons living with disabilities and their families face.19
Along with
physical and intellectual disabilities, there are many kinds of invisible disabilities
that often go unnoticed, such as chronic fatigue, and mental health concerns, to
name a couple. With Canada’s aging population, the proportion of people with
disabilities will increase over the next several years.
A widely held understanding of “disability” and “accessibility” places the emphasis
on the way society is organized, rather than on particular impairments that the
individual may have. People with disabilities may be challenged more by
systemic barriers and inadequate accessibility within the community than by their
own circumstances. It is not the disability, but the way society is organized
(barriers to accessing activities of daily living) which determines the life
experience of people with disabilities.
What we call an “ability” and a “disability” has a long way to go. There
are many people with profound disabilities who are up and working and
involved. The key is to broaden the definition of “access”. Make sure it
includes the reality for people with sensory, physical, developmental,
psychiatric, learning and multiple disabilities. If your basic needs are met
through appropriate income and access then “disability” means
something completely different.20
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Everyone Belongs…
DAWN (Disabled Women’s Network) Canada has created an excellent checklist
relating to accessibility for people with disabilities:
http://dawn.thot.net/access_checklist_full.html
Accessibility for transgendered people
“A transgendered person is someone whose gender identity or expression differs
from conventional expectations of masculinity or femininity. Transgender or transidentified is often used as a catch-all term for gender variant people.”21
Although not a lot of research has been done on violence and discrimination
experienced by transgendered people, the research that has been done
suggests that the incidence is very high.22 Transgendered people who are part of
other marginalized groups experience an even greater degree of discrimination.
When thinking about accessibility for transgendered people, you may want to
consider things like having a gender neutral bathroom, instead of ones marked
“male” and “female” and having registration forms that do not make people
specify their gender.
Accessibility for different religions and cultures
Canada is considered a multicultural society that has rights enshrined in the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Despite protective mechanisms, there is
significant discrimination that occurs against people based on their religion or
cultural background.
When thinking about accessibility for different religions and cultures, here are a
few things you may want to consider:
•
•
•
Making sure you meet or exceed all legal requirements for
accommodation, including those in Human Rights legislation, employment
law and any legislation with respect to accessibility for people with
disabilities. An example of this would be allowing people to take time off
for religious days other than the Christian based holidays that are typically
taken off. For example, Christmas, Easter, etc.
Offering staff/volunteers/students the space and time to conduct religious
prayers.
Thinking about ways that your organization can embrace or further
embrace and celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity.
Accessibility for different languages
In Canada there are two official languages, English and French; however, many
other languages are spoken in this country. If people cannot read or speak the
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Everyone Belongs…
language used in publications, pamphlets, services and programs, then they will
not be able to access them.
You may want to consider having your resources available in different languages,
audio formats and Braille, if your budget will permit it. You can also write your
resources in plain language.
Policies relating to human resources
“Canadian human rights legislation recognizes that true equality means respect
for people’s different needs. In employment, this means valuing and
accommodating differences so that all employees can work to the best of their
ability.”23
Under Canadian law, equality is recognized and acknowledged; however, those
who experience discrimination know that this right is not always protected.
People face many barriers to employment, including lack of access to education
and training programs required for the job market, specific language training for
the workplace and adequate childcare, among other reasons.
When considering policies around staffing, training and/or volunteer recruitment
you can try using some of these questions as a guide:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Have we made sure we comply with or exceed all legal obligations with
respect to employment standards, human rights, employment equity,
legislation with respect to accessibility for people with disabilities, union
contracts and so on?
Do job postings encourage people who face multiple barriers to accessing
jobs to apply for positions?
Do hiring policies exclude anyone? How? Who?
Is there an equity policy in place? Is it working? Do people know about it?
Is the office accessible to people with diverse disabilities (including
physical space, communication structures, etc.)?
Are people who have historically been excluded from society encouraged
to apply for jobs? For example, racialized people, transgendered people,
people with disabilities, First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, lesbian, gay
and bisexual people, or people with multiple and overlapping identities?
(please note that these are just a few examples - it is not a complete list).
Are employees eligible for benefits for themselves and their families?
Are there flexible working hours? For example, can staff have the option of
working at home, such as a sole support parent who does not have child
care?
Is hiring based on education alone, or are other types of experience
considered too? For example, a person who does not have a university
degree but has relevant experience can be just as competent as someone
with a university degree.
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Everyone Belongs…
•
•
•
Most job candidates do not match all of the job requirements perfectly. Are
you able to develop employees’ skills so that they can better perform their
job? For example, French language training for a person who only speaks
English.
Are standards for hiring based only on Western practices? For example,
are candidates ranked higher if they are dressed more conservatively,
have a firm handshake and make a lot of eye contact, or does the
organization account for differences in presentation and communication
style?
Is foreign work experience and education recognized?
Something else to consider is how power is shared in your organization.
Intersectionality looks at power and privilege and this lens can be applied to the
organizational structure. How are decisions made within the organization—
collectively or by management? Is there a distinct hierarchy within the
organization or is the structure more circular with power being shared among
staff?
Considerations for Boards of Directors
If you decide to apply an intersectional lens to your policies, some people may
resist the idea.
Boards of Directors need to be open to changes in policy for intersectionality to
work. Discussing intersectional issues can cause tension so it is important to
have an open space to discuss the issues. Staff and board alike need to feel safe
when having important discussions relating to policies and practices. A
participant in one of the intersectionality workshops pointed out that if the board
is not making a strategic intersectional analysis, then it won’t permit the staff to
carry out that analysis.
The following are a few ideas that Boards of Directors can consider with respect
to intersectionality:
•
•
•
•
•
Ensure that current and new board members understand the intersectional
approach and ways of applying it. For example, board members could be
briefed or trained on the approach.
Attracting new board members to the organization who have knowledge
on issues of inclusion and value the approach.
Consider how to attract a diverse membership without expecting members
to represent an entire group (tokenism).
Consider ways to make the membership and board more diverse.
Some organizations, such as Egale Canada, have developed a separate
Intersections Committee to oversee the application of an intersectional
approach into different aspects of the organization.24
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Everyone Belongs…
•
•
•
If you receive a grant to hire someone and the budget only covers health
benefits for the new staff member, will you be able to allocate additional
money if the employee has children who also require health benefits?
When the board reviews different policies, does it take the time to reflect
on how the organization’s policies factor in the needs of different
communities? For example, women, people with disabilities, LGBTT2IQQ
people (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Transexual, 2-Spirited,
Intersexed, Queer, Questioning), racialized people, to give a few
examples. Do the policies take into account people who experience
multiple discriminations?
Does the board regularly review organizational policies and practices to
see whether or not they limit opportunities for different groups? For
example, human resources policies.
Volunteer BC has an excellent a-z directory on board governance for newer and
older boards: http://www.volunteerbc.bc.ca/resources/governance/index.html
Applying an intersectional framework to policies can be a challenging process.
Organizations cannot make big changes overnight-it takes time, commitment and
an honest belief in the need to prioritize the experiences and histories of people
who experience the greatest degrees of marginalization. Diverse voices and
perspectives can help shape and drive organizational policies through a
consensual process. For CRIAW, the process has been a long one and there are
still many areas of the organization that CRIAW will continue working on such as
increasing the physical accessibility of the office space. With time and effort, we
will get there.
Developing services,
intersectionality
programs
and
projects
that
reflect
Applying an intersectional approach to service and program delivery requires that
the unique experiences and backgrounds of service users be prioritized and
accounted for. Having program participants and service users inform program
development is an important step towards greater inclusiveness. Community
members are the experts when it comes to the needs, hopes and dreams for
their community.25
When developing new programs, services or projects, organizations can discuss
at the outset how an intersectional approach will be applied. An overarching
vision or framework for your organization, which guides all activities, can be a
good reference point for program development.
This section is designed to provide some ideas and suggestions for reaching out
to marginalized communities, taking into account people’s unique histories,
ensuring that programs and services are accessible and evaluating your
18
Everyone Belongs…
programs and services. This section combines notions of intersectionality and
community development.
Reaching the most marginalized
Where programs and services are designed to serve specific populations, for
example, settlement services for new immigrants, programs for Aboriginal
women, support groups for sole support parents, etc., it can be difficult not to fall
into the trap of making general assumptions about those populations without
taking into account differences within their communities. For example, many of us
have probably heard generalized statements about groups of people before such
as “aboriginal people are poor,” or “women are oppressed” and because certain
groups of people do statistically experience greater amounts of poverty and
exclusion, they often tend to get slapped with those labels. Thus, “[…]
assumptions are often made about what a community is and what it has going for
or against it”26 [without having consulted with that community and involved its
members in program delivery]. Carrying out accurate research is also crucial in
this process (see section 6, Research that reflects intersectionality)
We need to be able to recognize differences with respect to privilege and
oppression and keep in mind how we can be simultaneously privileged and
excluded. As one example, within and among First Nations communities, there
are differences in access to money, power, jobs and respect on the basis of
ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation, family history, age, social
connections, Indian Status, Band status, geographic location (rural or urban),
self-government/land claim status, history of colonization, extent of residential
school involvement, language and culture.27 When developing programs and
services, taking into account differences within communities will help to make
these programs and services more inclusive and welcoming.
Here are some things that you may want to consider with respect to engaging
with communities:
•
•
•
•
Building on a community’s strengths can be a good strategy for creating
awareness and motivation.
The experience of systemic discrimination and/or abuse can cause people
to distrust programs/services. For example, mistreatment from police
and/or other service providers, experience with a discriminatory
immigration system, etc.
Are there any barriers to accessing services such as transportation,
language barriers, physical access barriers, childcare, etc?
If there are barriers, how can they be overcome? In one of the
intersectionality workshops, a participant talked about a women’s support
group, where they were able to hire childcare providers so that a greater
diversity of women could attend. The childcare costs were built into the
project budget.
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Everyone Belongs…
•
•
•
We can’t expect that communities will come to us. We need to reach out to
them and involve community members in program delivery.
Keep in mind that the role of service and program providers is to listen to
what the community wants and to help support it, not to just create
programs.
Consider having flexible hours for services. For example, offering
programs at different times of the day to accommodate differences in
people’s work / school / care-giving schedules.
One way to become more connected to the community(ies) you serve is to
conduct a community assessment, which involves gathering information about
your community(ies). It is important to note that many non-profit agencies do not
have the human and financial resources available to conduct this kind of
assessment; however, there may be existing information that can be tapped.
If you are able to conduct an assessment, consider current and projected
demographics, social issues, economic issues, environmental issues and issues
and opportunities from the perspectives of community members and leaders.28
Keeping in mind the intersectional approach, you may want to think about how
these issues interact and contribute to conditions of privilege and exclusion for
community members. As well, communities change over time and so do the
various issues and opportunities. Knowing the history of your community may
help to put the current issues into context.
Thinking beyond your deliverables
Many non-profit organizations are limited in terms of human and financial
resources. In all three intersectionality workshops that CRIAW facilitated, staff
commented that they often have so much on their plates that it is hard to find
extra time for anything else.
When individual staff are stretched very thin and working lots of extra hours,
taking time to make sure an intersectional approach is being applied to programs,
services and projects can be challenging; however, if intersectional policies are
built into our organizational structures, it will have a direct impact on how service
delivery is carried out. For example, if an organization has an accessibility policy
in place that addresses the barriers that service/program users face, for example,
barriers for people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, language barriers,
transportation, to name a few, then the space will be more welcoming for different
groups. Moreover, if an organization values a bottom up approach to service and
program delivery, program participants and service users may be involved in
evaluating and influencing changes in service delivery. In this way, program
participants will be able to help shape services to better meet their needs.
Most community based programs and services rely on a separate funding body
for financial resources. Along with funding, most funders have a set of
requirements that have to be met. Often this comes in the form of eligibility
20
Everyone Belongs…
criteria and certain deliverables that must be met within a given time-frame. One
of CRIAW’s partners pointed out that eligibility criteria force program staff to turn
people away from programs if they do not meet the set criteria. Although this sort
of limitation can force organizations to be less inclusive or face losing funding,
there are ways to establish a more inclusive environment for those who can
access the services. As well, organizations can point out to their funders how
such criteria is increasing exclusion and what the effects are on the community.
Most funders do not currently use an intersectional approach themselves and
may not even be aware of what the approach is. Because of this, applying an
intersectional approach will involve going beyond the basic deliverables to apply
an overall intersectional lens. Also, keep in mind that an intersectional approach
and effective inclusion can take time, and may be challenging within strict project
timelines.
Organizations may also want to consider forming partnerships or coalitions with
other social justice groups that serve different communities, for example, First
Nations, Métis or Inuit organizations, LGBTT2QI organizations, etc. Establishing
collaborative programs, services and projects will allow for different perspectives
and points of view to be heard.
When designing new programs or projects, the project design is very important. If
organizations commit to applying an intersectional approach, the framework can
be built into the overall design of the program or project. Moreover, using this
approach in an analytical way “[…] requires that we see the eradication of
discrimination and the celebration of diversity as fundamental to development
and the enjoyment of human rights.”29 For this to happen, a genuine commitment
is needed from key players, staff, board and committees.
How to evaluate your services/programs/projects
Any sort of planning process around services, programs and projects should
involve an evaluation.30 If an organization is applying an intersectional approach,
there has to be a way to figure out how the approach is working in order to
determine whether anything needs to be changed. Evaluations do not need to be
very complicated. In fact, “[…] evaluation is simply a tool that helps you
understand if you are on track and achieving results that will move you towards
your vision.”31
There are four basic questions that organizations can explore with respect to an
evaluation.32
1. What worked and why?33
You may want to ask program participants what they thought worked and why so
that your initiative can be informed from the bottom up.
2. What did not work and why?34
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Everyone Belongs…
Having program participants provide feedback can help ensure that the next
initiative is more accessible.
3. What could have been done differently?35
You may want to reflect on whether your approach increased inclusiveness.
Does your approach need re-thinking at all?
4. What adjustments and changes are required now?36
You may want to consider how any needed changes could further an
intersectional approach.
If evaluations have been well thought out and incorporate feedback from program
participants, they may provide a means to continue programs or develop new
ones. Often funding agencies want to know organizations past achievements in
order to determine whether or not to support new projects.37
Here are some things you may want to consider with respect to evaluating your
programs/services/projects:
•
•
•
•
You may want to keep track of who is and who is not accessing your
services. If you haven’t been able to reach certain populations or
communities, try to reflect on why that may be the case.
In order to value the contributions of the community(ies) you are serving,
you may want to have participants fill out program evaluations.
Participants could have a role in creating the evaluation process.
Remember that evaluations are not just about numbers and quotas.
Research that reflects intersectionality
The following section provides some suggestions and general information on how
the intersectional approach could be applied to your research. For more in-depth
information on each stage of the research process, you can look at CRIAW’s
resource: Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research. You can order
this resource from CRIAW online at www.criaw-icref.ca or send an email to
info@criaw-icref.ca.
Please note that there are many different kinds of research that organizations do.
As a participant pointed out in one of the focus groups, a lot of community based
research does not have a specific research question.
This section will probably be most helpful for groups that do participatory action
research.
Participants expressed an interest in learning more about research ethics. The
following resource relates to research ethics: Considerations and Templates for
Ethical Research Practices, which is a resource that the First Nations Centre of
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Everyone Belongs…
the Aboriginal Health Organization developed, around participatory research with
First Nations Communities:
http://www.naho.ca/firstnations/english/documents/toolkits/FNC_Considerationsa
ndTemplatesInformationResource.pdf
Applying an intersectional perspective to research
There is some research that involves people in positions of power making
decisions about how the research will be done. This includes things like which
participants to select, what kind of analysis will be used, what the research
question will be (if there is one), etc. Using an intersectional approach, on the
other hand, involves “[…] valuing a bottom up approach to research, analysis and
planning by gathering information on how women and men actually live their
lives.”38
Intersectionality can be incorporated into all of the steps and phases of the
research process from defining the research question to how you disseminate the
research. The very first step involved with using this approach, however, is
making a commitment to using an intersectional approach, even though it may
complicate the research process.39 Indeed, the Women’s Health Research
Network in British Columbia pointed out: “trying to understand the health of a
woman within a broader context [sociocultural, economic, gender/sexuality
based, etc.] complicate [sic] the research questions being asked.”40
When deciding what organizations or groups to partner with for research, you can
look for groups that value the same kind of approach to research. Research
teams and advisory bodies such as steering committees can often be helpful for
accessing participants, making sure that the research design is effective and the
analysis is meaningful and can reach larger networks of people with the research
results.41
It is important to note that it is rare for a study to look at every possible
intersection--some studies will state from the beginning which intersections they
will examine.42 The language you use for your study will partly depend on your
style, who is funding the project and what community(ies) you are trying to
reach.43
Involving people who experience marginalization in the research process
Involving people who experience marginalization in the research process is a
very important part of using an intersectional approach. Moreover, “[…] it requires
making a commitment to thinking carefully about placing the experiences and
perspectives of people with the least social, economic and political power front
and centre throughout the research process.”44
So how does one go about selecting participants? Often researchers identify
participants by approaching advocacy organizations; however, the organizations
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Everyone Belongs…
you approach may not reflect the entire community you are researching.45 For
example, in one of CRIAW’s studies, some women living with disabilities in
Winnipeg did not feel that white/male-dominated disability organizations reflected
their experiences very well.46 Indeed, most of us belong to more than one
community at a given time and if we are being excluded, we may not spend much
time in mainstream organizations whose mandate is to serve the community that
excludes us. Thus, approaching anti-poverty organizations and different types of
advocacy organizations such as First Nations, Inuit, Métis, immigrant, seniors’
and youth organizations, amongst others, may be helpful.47
Once participants are selected, they can be involved in the research process. To
start, you could involve participants in shaping the research question. For
example, in a study conducted by the National Anti-Poverty Organization in 2004
on homeless women, the definition of “homeless” was left up to the women who
responded to the study’s call for interviews.48 The study was then able to show
that a home is more than just having shelter, “[…] it is also a place where they, as
women, can be safe and secure and have a little privacy and control over their
living spaces.”49 When it came time to disseminating the research, the final report
highlighted the stories and perspectives of the women participants.50
Participants can also be involved in deciding what kinds of issues or problems
need to be researched within their communities. This type of community
development approach involves centering the research on the needs of the
community being studied, making the research relevant for that community. For
more information on community development, please read the Developing
services, programs and projects that reflect intersectionality section of this toolkit
(p. 18).
Something else to keep in mind is how your research will benefit the participants.
Part of this can involve sharing resources with participants, sharing skills and
information and creating networks among participants.51 Along with this, some
researchers pay honoraria to participants for sharing their experiences. It is
important to note, however, that some people feel that paying participants can be
a way of forcing them to participate because it is difficult for someone with very
little income to turn money away.52 On the other hand, a participant in one of the
focus groups pointed out that some researchers feel that it is unethical not to
offer participants compensation for their time and involvement.
Sometimes, as in the following case example, the researchers can also be a part
of the community being studied, although this is not always possible.
A case in point: intersectional research on the Vancouver transit system
The Vancouver Bus Rider’s Union applied an intersectional analysis to the
Vancouver transit system, which involved holding consultations across the city,
coupled with presenting background information on colonialization, globalization,
poverty and the transit system.53
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Everyone Belongs…
The study was called Women in Transit: Organizing for Social Justice in Our
Communities. The study was a participatory action research project, which
explained links between racism, sexism, the environment and the economic
system that separates people by class, including wealthy and middle classes and
those who struggle to survive.54 As a means of finding women who could point
out such links, the study sponsored consultations within the community in a high
school, various women’s centres, a housing coop, the Multicultural Family Centre
African Women’s Saturday program, amongst other locations.55
The study used both qualitative data (women’s experiences) and quantitative
data (pre-existing statistics on the topic). It showed that people who were relying
on public transit were mostly poor and that women, people of colour and
Aboriginal peoples were disproportionately represented because they were part
of the most excluded sectors of the working class and could not afford to buy
cars.56
The women who made up the research team were, themselves, transit
dependent.57 The project also worked to empower other transit dependent
women, by training working class women to struggle against the interests of the
government of the time and assert their right to mobility and public transit.58
To read the full report online and to find out more about the methodology used
and the findings of the study, please look for the URL in the Resources section of
this toolkit (p. 35 ).
CRIAW’s partners making a difference in their communities
During the intersectionality workshops, participants spent a fair bit of time
identifying areas where their respective organizations had been and had not
been applying an intersectional lens, in order to facilitate a discussion about how
the framework could be advanced within each organization. The following
examples highlight initiatives that our partner groups have been involved with,
which reflect some principles of intersectionality.
The Social Planning Council of Winnipeg:
Making Poverty History Manitoba59
While the word intersectionality may not enter into this initiative, many of its
principles are reflected. Make Poverty History Manitoba is a coalition of over
thirty Winnipeg organizations from the business, education, student, Aboriginal,
newcomer, labour, women’s, health and disability communities and agencies.
Inspired by Quebec’s Bill 112: An Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion,
the Women’s Health Clinic, the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, the Prairie
Women’s Health Centre of Excellence and other coalition groups, led discussions
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Everyone Belongs…
in the community about Quebec’s anti-poverty legislation and how it came to be
enacted.
To give a bit of background information, in Quebec, a coalition of citizens and
communities worked together to draft a legislative proposal relating to poverty
and exclusion, which was then adapted and made in to law by the Quebec
National Assembly. With the enactment of the bill, came the recognition of
poverty and social exclusion as central policy priorities. Moreover, poverty and
exclusion were formally placed on the public agenda. The development was the
first of its kind and was made possible by the widespread support that it received
throughout the province.
Given that the Manitoba government had not previously taken steps to address
the issues of poverty and social exclusion, the community began to take action
by engaging with legislators, community leaders, diverse sectors and the public
at large on poverty and social exclusion in the Manitoba context. The main
message heard from Manitobans through the consultations was that small
adjustments to existing policies and programs are not enough and that the
province needs to take comprehensive and systemic action to reduce poverty
and increase social and economic inclusion.
According to Make Poverty History Manitoba this action should include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
An integrated and coordinated approach to programs and services to
reduce both the incidence and the depth of poverty and social exclusion
and associated effects.
Gender and diversity analysis as part of all policy and program
development processes.
Long term and annual action plans designed and implemented with
participation from multiple stakeholders.
Increased social investment reflected in Provincial budget expenses and
revenues.
Targets, timelines, and benchmarks with ongoing monitoring and reporting
to ensure that objectives are being met.
A multi-sectoral and cross-departmental authority to oversee progress and
make further recommendations.60
The coalition outlined specific outcomes and actions relating to jurisdictional
areas of the province of Manitoba including housing, income security, labour
market, education, recreation, transportation, disability supports, health and
mental health. They also recognized the importance of increased investment and
action at the Federal level, because the impact of decreased federal spending on
social programs over the years has trickled down into the provinces and
territories, leaving many without economic and social security.
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Everyone Belongs…
The coalition is working towards developing realistic recommendations for the
government of Manitoba to reduce poverty in the province. Various research and
reports on the issues have been synthesized, in order to prepare accessible
discussion papers on poverty reduction.
To learn more about this initiative:
http://spcw.mb.ca/files/file/MPHM%20Discussion%20Paper%20081203.pdf
The Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO):61
Kids and Community Project
The Kids and Community project of the Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPC)
was a participatory research and community development project with low
income families, Aboriginal families, families of diverse backgrounds, and families
where a parent was Deaf or had a disability. The goal was to improve inclusion in
early learning, healthy development and the transition to school. The project was
undertaken with five other social planning councils in Ontario, and supported by
Social Development Canada (Social Development Partnerships).
The project was led by a Parent Advisory Group comprised of parents who had
experienced exclusion. The project built parent-community partnerships to
encourage policy and program changes.
The project began with 23 focus groups with roughly 200 parents of young
children who were from groups who had experienced exclusion. From the focus
groups, participants defined inclusion and exclusion, highlighted what was
working well, and identified key strategies for improvement
Base on the input from the focus groups, the Parent Advisory Group developed
an action plan to address the most important barriers to inclusion. The action
plan had five key themes:
• Addressing fees and affordability (for school and recreation)
• Best practices for promoting respect and safety
• Supporting parent participation and decision making in school structures
• Strategizing on transportation barriers
• Improving access to information
The action plan included:
• supporting the capacity of parents from groups most likely to face
exclusion;
• addressing barriers which create exclusion; and
• developing inclusive policy and practices.
The project was very successful. The Parent Advisory Group (PAG) remained the
decision making body throughout, and was recognized in the community for their
insight and leadership on the project. Research participants were able to frame
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Everyone Belongs…
the understanding of the issues, rather than having the definitions imposed from
elsewhere. In addition, the project was successful in making concrete changes
related to most of the key themes.
The PAG hosted a full day forum to address the school fees challenge. This led
to the creation of an information sheet for parents on school fees available in six
languages, and widely distributed through Ottawa and even beyond; several
schools and school Boards revising their policies and practices with respect to
school fees to be more inclusive; the Provincial government including in its’
Poverty Reduction policy the need for all school boards to create inclusive
policies with respect to school fees, and an agency collaboration to increase the
availability of charitable school supplies for low income families.
A summary of the findings from the focus groups, and related information on
inclusion and exclusion of families with young children in the Ottawa area is
found in the report Is Everybody Here? Inclusion and Exclusion of Families with
Young Children in the Ottawa Area
The PAG hosted a very successful capacity building forum for immigrant families
with young children and small ethnocultural groups working with families, on the
topic of inclusion and the school system. Almost 100 people participated and
developed connections to support them in advocating for greater inclusion.
The PAG researched and developed a resource manual for parents, listing good
examples of inclusion strategies to share with school and community
organizations, strategies they could implement themselves as parents, without
funding. The information has been published in Good Examples: A Resource
Manual for Parents of Young Children.
Key elements in the success of the project were the strong leadership provided
by the PAG and their ability to identify general dynamics of exclusion as well as
the distinctness experienced by different groups and individuals, and the
provision of supports such as childcare, nutritious refreshments, materials in
multiple languages, transportation etc., to facilitate participation..
For more information, visit our website at
www.spcottawa.on.ca/AboutSPC_CurrentActivities.htm
The Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (SIA):62
SIA Poverty Forum, November, 2008
In 2008, the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (SIA) hosted an event in
Saskatoon Saskatchewan, which examined the links between poverty and
racism. The project was established in support and in partnership with the United
Nations efforts to eradicate poverty around the world. The event focussed on the
International Human Rights Code, to show how poverty and racism violate the
code.
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Everyone Belongs…
The event consisted of a tribunal, followed by focus groups to explore the issues
in more depth. The tribunal involved testimonies from people with low incomes,
who shared their experiences of racism, discrimination and other difficulties
linked with poverty.
The focus groups which followed, discussed the truths about racism and poverty
as well as steps that could be taken by communities, leaders and government at
the local, national and international levels, to help eradicate the problem.
Focus group participants responded to eight questions:
1. What are the major contributing factors to poverty?
Here are a couple of the factors mentioned:
• There is a lack of affordable housing and childcare and some
people of colour have experienced discrimination from landlords,
making it difficult to rent housing.
• Many people of colour experience discrimination from employers in
job interviews because of their ethnicity, making it more difficult to
obtain employment.
2. Has economic globalization decreased or increased poverty?
Here are couple of the issues raised:
• Participants felt that in some ways globalization has increased
poverty and in other ways it has decreased it.
• In the North American context, many North American employees
are losing their jobs or experiencing less job security because many
jobs are being outsourced to other countries where manufacturing
costs are lower.
• Participants pointed out that globalization for some countries, has
meant an increase in new job opportunities.
3. Female headed households have been on the increase and according to
the International Labour Organization (ILO), one third of all households are
now headed by women. What are the consequences of these trends?
Here are a couple of the issues raised:
• Concerns were expressed about the wage gap between men and
women and also the higher risk for sole support mothers to fall into
poverty, compared to sole support fathers.
• It is often difficult for sole support mothers to find permanent fulltime work.
4. How has HIV/AIDS and other health related problems impacted on
women’s lives and compounded their poverty?
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Everyone Belongs…
Here are a couple of the issues raised:
• Women all over the world are becoming at more risk of contracting
HIV. It was felt by participants that inequality was the main cause of
the trend.
• In some countries, women are subjected to unfair legal standards
and do not have the power to control their sexual activities, making
it difficult to practice safer sex.
5. What structural/systemic barriers currently
intergenerational cycles of poverty and racism?
exist
that
exacerbate
Here are a couple of the issues raised:
• Participants felt that a possible underlying cause of poverty is lack
of education. Post secondary education is more likely to lead to a
higher paying career but many cannot afford it. Student loans are
available for some but they lead people into debt and are thus not
the best option for everyone.
• Children who grow up in ghettoized communities are more likely to
experience difficult circumstances because of the higher prevalence
of drugs and criminal activity.
6. What types of education/awareness raising strategies are needed to make
a difference?
Here are a couple of the suggestions made:
• Increased education for the public and for those experiencing
poverty and racism.
• Need for teaching and encouraging cultural pride to young
Aboriginal people and to immigrants, starting at the elementary
school level.
7. What can we do as a community to make a difference in terms of
alleviating poverty?
Here are a couple of the suggestions made:
• Large issues could be broken down into smaller more realistic
goals.
• Creating coalitions aimed at achieving particular goals could be
helpful. Strategies could be developed to engage the public and to
work with the government to make poverty a priority.
8. What can be done to alleviate or combat underlying causes of poverty and
racism?
Here are a couple of the suggestions made:
• Government action is very important.
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Everyone Belongs…
•
All levels of government-local, provincial and federal can take a
leadership role and create the necessary infrastructure and
institutions targeted at alleviating poverty.
From these discussions a set of 4 recommendations were made with respect to
combating poverty and racism:
1. Greater emphasis on education for young people, and awareness for the
broader community.
2. Increased government funding and more government involvement in
programs and services that aim to alleviate poverty and racism.
3. More adequate and affordable housing and daycare.
4. Greater emphasis and strict enforcement of gender equality.
Community education activities for exploring intersectionality
The following tools can be used to generate discussion about intersectionality.
There are lots of fun and interactive ways to explore this concept. This section
will look at three different activities that you can facilitate within your organization
or with other organizations or groups as community education tools. Two of the
activities are typically used as ice-breakers and the third activity is a more indepth, self reflection activity.
Intersectionality String Game
This game works well as an ice-breaker, although a participant in one of our
intersectionality workshops facilitated the game with a group of people as a more
in depth activity, where participants talked about their experience with exclusion.
Materials:
A ball of string/yarn and enough people to make it work (5 and up would probably
work best).
Length of the Activity:
The more people you have, the longer it will take. If you are looking for a quick
ice-breaker, it will probably take about 10 minutes or so but you may want to be
flexible with the time if people are taking a bit longer.
How it works:
1. Have participants gather in a circle.
2. Show participants the ball of yarn/string and explain to them that
everyone, including you, will be sharing something about themselves to
see how each person is connected. You will be exploring people’s
similarities and differences.
3. To get started, tell people that you will begin saying things about yourself.
Explain to people that once you start talking, if someone hears you say
something that she/he has in common with you, then that person should
31
Everyone Belongs…
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
interrupt your dialogue and take over where you left off. For example, if
you both have kids or if you share a hobby in common.
Begin talking about yourself. Here is an example of something a person
might say: My name is ..... and I recently graduated with a degree in Social
Work. I am a single mom with one daughter who is 5 years old. I was born
in Toronto and I moved to Ottawa when I was 10 years old. I have been
living here ever since. I love going to movies… You can choose what
kinds of things you would like to tell people about yourself. This is just one
example.
Once someone starts to elaborate on what they have in common with you,
hold on to a piece of the string with one hand and toss the rest of the ball
to that person.
Each time a new person has something in common with the current
person speaking, the ball of yarn should be tossed to that person. No one
should be letting go of her/his little piece of the string.
Once every single person is holding a piece of string, you can stop the
game. You may want to instruct people not to talk, once they have had
their turn. That way everyone will get a piece of string faster.
While people are still holding on to the string, you can point out how
complex and interwoven people’s experiences are. Point out the complex
weave of string and how it intersects at different points.
People are complex. We all have similarities and differences. We all have
identities and experience that interact and make us who we are. You can draw
attention to the various intersections of the string. This can then lead the group
into a discussion about what intersectionality is.
How Many of You…….exploring our own oppressions
Materials:
Enough people to make it work (5 and up would probably work best).
Length of the Activity:
Generally speaking, this activity takes 5 minutes or less.
How it Works:
1. Explain to participants that they will be taking a moment to reflect on their
own experience of exclusion and discrimination. Tell the group that you
will be naming different kinds of discrimination and asking participants to
respond in various ways to them. Reinforce that it is impossible to name
every single type of discrimination and that you apologize if something
gets left out. Assure the group that you will give them a chance afterwards
to let you know if you missed anything big. Also, it is important to mention
to participants that they do not have to reveal everything about themselves
and that it is their choice whether or not to respond to something.
Participants do not have to participate in an action that would reveal an
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Everyone Belongs…
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
aspect of their identity or experience that they are not comfortable sharing
with everyone.
Start the game by naming a type of discrimination and pairing it with an
action. For example, you might say-“If you have ever experienced
oppression or discrimination because of your gender, I want you to clap
your hands. Don’t stop clapping until the game is over.”
Once people start clapping, name another kind of discrimination and pair it
with a different action. You might say “If you have ever experienced
racism, I want you to stomp your left foot. If you are also clapping, don’t
stop. Some of you may now be clapping and stomping.”
Name another kind of discrimination and pair it with a different action. You
might say “If you have ever experienced discrimination because of a
disability, I want you to stomp your right foot.”
The game can continue in this fashion. You may want to have participants
shout or scream in the end, to let out some frustration. Keep in mind that
you will be limited in terms of how many different combinations of actions
people can do. Also, keep in mind your audience. If someone does not
have control over their leg movements, they won’t be able to stomp their
feet, for example.
The goal of this activity is to get people thinking about the cumulative
impact of multiple discriminations/oppressions.
Invisible Backpack of Privilege Activity
This activity has been adapted from a concept developed by Peggy McIntosh.
Peggy McIntosh is a white feminist activist, who explored and wrote about her
own privilege as a white person in a paper entitled "White Privilege and Male
Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work
in Women’s Studies." 63 Her idea was that often times, society refers to how
people are disadvantaged but does not often discuss how people are
advantaged and have invisible privileges based on their status, gender, race, and
in other ways as well.
This activity has been re-created many times by different facilitators and we
encourage you to adapt it for your own organization/group.
Materials:
Index cards with individual privilege statements written on each one, a knapsack
(optional) and enough people to make it work (5 and up would probably work
best).
Length of the Activity:
Generally speaking, this activity takes 30 minutes or more, depending on how in
depth participants are able and willing to go and how much time you have.
How it Works:
1. Distribute the index cards. If you have a larger group, you may give one
card to each person. If you have a smaller group, you may decide to give
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Everyone Belongs…
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
each person 2 or 3 cards. If you have a knapsack, have people draw a
card or two from the knapsack, instead of passing them out.
Explain that this activity is designed to give people an opportunity to reflect
on their own power and privilege and also discuss the concepts as a larger
group.
Instruct participants to read their statement and to spend a minute
reflecting on what it means to them. Tell the group that after they reflect on
the statement they will take turns commenting on them. Let people know
that there are no right or wrong answers but that you are willing to
comment on your card first to provide an example.
Once people have had a chance to read and reflect on their statement(s),
begin the activity by commenting on your own card. You can choose to
reflect on how the statement relates to your own power and privilege or
how it relates to power and privilege in general. Give participants a chance
to reply or respond to your reflection. Each statement will have more or
less relevance for certain group members, depending on their own
personal experiences and histories.
After the group has talked about your statement, have each participant
take a turn reading and commenting on their own statement, until each
statement has been read and commented on.
After all the statements have been read, you may want to spend some
time debriefing. Often this activity can bring up strong emotions for people.
Summarize the objective of the activity by pointing out that we can all
experience privilege in certain ways but simultaneously experience
oppression or discrimination in other ways. For example, a person may not
experience sexism, but could experience racism or ableism.
Sample Statements for index cards:
The following are sample statements that were used for CRIAW’s
intersectionality workshops. You can use these, along with some of your own,
or you can develop all of your own statements. These are just examples to
help demonstrate the concept.
1. If I move out of my current residence, I am fairly sure that I will be
able to rent or purchase housing that I can afford & in a
neighbourhood where I want to live.
2. I can go shopping, take public transit or carry out errands at any time
of the day or night without fear of being followed or harassed.
3. I can hold my partner, boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse’s hand in
public without being harassed or looked at funny.
4. I can accept a job or contract without having people suspecting that I
got that job because of an affirmative action program.
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Everyone Belongs…
5. I can carry out my daily routine without worrying whether the places I
go will have wheelchair ramps or elevators.
6. I can talk about my job or work openly without fear of being judged
or negatively labelled.
7. I can walk into a store, bank, restaurant or other establishment and
communicate with people in my language of choice.
8. I can work in a job without being underestimated because of my age
or perceived age.
9. People don’t often ask me, “where are you from” or “what country
are you from” without having prior knowledge of my citizenship
status.
10. I can talk openly about my sexual orientation without fear of being
judged by those around me.
11. I can comfortably use public washrooms that correspond with my
gender.
12. People do not regularly talk excessively slowly or loudly to me.
13. I can be sure that my children will be exposed to a curriculum that
testifies to the existence of their history, culture, language, etc.
14. I can go out in public without people looking at me like I am scary or
out of place and/or avoiding me, for example, crossing to the other
side of the street when they see me.
Resources
The following list is designed to link you to current, quality online resources that
compliment the content in this toolkit. There are links to useful websites,
checklists and research that reflect intersectionality and some of its related
principles i.e. diversity, inclusion, etc.
Accessibility resources
1. Canadian Association of Community Living. Building an Inclusive and
Accessible Canada: Supporting people with disabilities.
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/actionplan/accessible-canada
Accessed: April 15, 2009
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Everyone Belongs…
2. Cope, A. & Darke, J. (1999). Trans Accessibility Project: Making Women’s
Shelters Accessible to Transgendered Women.
http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/tap/index.html
Accessed, April 15, 2009
3. DisAbled Women’s Network Ontario (DAWN Ontario). DAWN Ontario
Access Checklist. North Bay, Ontario
http://dawn.thot.net/access_checklist_full.html
Accessed, April 15, 2009
4. Social Planning & Resource Council of BC
Links to all kinds of accessibility resources-tips, tools pertaining to people
with disabilities:
http://www.sparc.bc.ca/resources-andpublications/category/26/accessibilityresourcespublications
Accessed: April 15, 2009
5. The Conseil Communauté en Santé du Manitoba in partnership with The
Disabilities Issues Office (2008). Francophone full Citizenship: The voice
of 51 Franco-Manitobans Report-Spring 2008. Manitoba: Author.
http://www.gov.mb.ca/dio/pdf/francophone_fullcitizen.pdf
Accessed: April 15, 2009
Resources relating to intersectionality
1. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2004).
Intersectionality: A tool for gender and Economic Justice. Toronto: AWID.
http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Library/Intersectionality-ATool-for-Gender-and-Economic-Justice
Accessed April 15, 2009
2. Crenshaw, K. W. (1994). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, identity
politics and Violence against women of colour, in M.A. Fineman, and R.
Mykitiuk (eds.), The Public Nature of Private Violence. New York:
Routledge.
http://www.wcsap.org/Events/Workshop07/mapping-margins.pdf
Accessed, April 15, 2009
3. Boodram, Chris (2003). Building the Links: The Intersection of Race and
Sexual Orientation: Toronto: EGALE Canada
http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&menu=40&item=819
Accessed, April 15, 2009
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Everyone Belongs…
4. Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2001). An Intersectional Approach to
Discrimination: Addressing Multiple Grounds in Human Rights Claims.
Discussion Paper, Policy and Education Branch. Ontario: Ontario Human
Rights Commission.
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/resources/discussion_consultation/DissIntersecti
onalityFtnts/pdf
Accessed, April 15, 2009
5. School Services and Staff Development, Peel District School Board
(2002). Issue Papers on the “Isms: Support Documents for the
Implementation of the Future We Want. Peel District School Board.
http://www.gobeyondwords.org/documents/IntersectionalityFullDiscussion
_000_000.doc
Accessed, April 15th, 2009
Research
1. Blaney, E. (2004). Probing Rural Issues-Selecting Methods to Address
Abuse of Women and Girls: [E]valu[at]ing “Better” Practices and Reflexive
Approaches. Fredericton: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family
Violence Research.
http://www.unbf.ca/arts/CFVR/documents/WomensStudies_PRISM_20043
.pdf
Accessed, April 15, 2009
2. Chan, Z., Grayer, B., Efting, J.,Jones, H., Kaur, K. & Roberts, M. (2004).
Women in Transit: Organizing for Social Justice in Our Communities.
Vancouver: Bus Riders Union.
http://edocs.lib.sfu.ca/projects/chodarr/documents/chodarr0865.pdf
Accessed, April 15, 2009
3. Neal, R. (2004). Voices: Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada.
Ottawa: National Anti-Poverty Association.
http://action.web.ca/home/narcc/attach/Women%2C%20Poverty%20and%20Homelessn
ess%20in%20Canada.pdf
Accessed, April 15, 2009
4. First Nations Centre. (2007). Considerations and Templates for Ethical
Research Practices. Ottawa: National Aboriginal Health Organization
http://www.naho.ca/firstnations/english/documents/toolkits/FNC_Consider
ationsandTemplatesInformationResource.pdf
Accessed, April 15, 2009
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Everyone Belongs…
Resources relating to policy development
1. Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2006).
A Place for All: A guide to Creating an inclusive workplace
http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/pdf/publications/aplaceforall.pdf
Accessed, April 16, 2009.
2. Deborah B, CST Faculty Associate (2002-2005). Voices of Diversity/Equity
- Transforming University Curriculum. Core Newsletter, Volume 14
Number 1 (October 2004)
https://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/core/article/view/2428/1633
Accessed, April 16th, 2009
Websites
1. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
Web: http://www.awid.org/
2. Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW)
Web: http://criaw-icref.ca/
3. Egale Canada
Web: http://www.egale.ca/index.asp
4. Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
Web: http://www.siassoc.sk.ca/
5. Social Planning Council of Ottawa
Web: http://www.spcottawa.on.ca/
6. Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
Web: http://spcw.mb.ca
7. Women’s Health Research Network
Web: http://www.whrn.ca/index.html
Glossary of terms
The following are definitions for some of the terms that were used throughout the
toolkit. Please note that the terms appear in alphabetical order.
Aboriginal Peoples:
Under the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, the term Aboriginal Peoples refers to
First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living in Canada. However, common use of
the term is not always inclusive of all three distinct people and much of the
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Everyone Belongs…
available research only focuses on particular segments of the aboriginal
population64.
Accessibility:
Accessibility means “providing access.”65 “Access means, “freedom or ability to
obtain or make use of something”.66 As organizations, being accessible means
that we structure our spaces in such a way that people can make use of our
space, services, resources, etc.
Colonization:
This term refers to a series of events and conditions that occurred when white
Europeans landed in North America and took control of the land. The following
are a few examples of some of these events and conditions:
•
•
•
•
First Nations, Metis and Inuit were taken from their lands, which led to
cycles of poverty, displacement, instability and a loss of a way of life.
Indian Act was passed, which made indigenous peoples wards of the state
and completely changed the social, political and economic systems that
were in place before.
First Nations and Inuit spiritual practices were criminalized and replaced
with Christianity.
Residential schools were established, whereby children were ripped from
their homes and brought to schools where they were beaten for speaking
their languages and many ensued years of sexual, physical and emotional
abuse. The last residential school did not close until the 1980’s67
Community Development:
The planned evolution of all aspects of community well-being (economic, social,
environmental and cultural). It is a process whereby community members come
together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems.68
Disability:
The social construction of disability assesses and deals with disability from an
able bodied perspective. It includes erroneous assumptions about capacity to
perform that come from an able bodied frame of reference. It encompasses the
failure to make possible or accept different ways of doing things.69 Often times,
disability is defined very rigidly and only makes note of physical disabilities;
however, disability includes more than just physical disabilities. DAWN Ontario
puts it: “For those of us whose lives have not been touched by disability, it is easy
to think of disabilities as being the obvious ones: lack of sight, lack of hearing,
lack of mobility (being in a wheelchair), and intellectual disabilities. But there are
just as many "invisible" disabilities as there are visible ones. These include
mental and emotional illnesses and chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue,
epilepsy, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia, learning disabilities,
environmental allergies, and others.”70
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Everyone Belongs…
Discrimination:
People can experience discrimination in many different ways, which are not
always obvious. Often discrimination is systemic, which means it is built in to the
structures of our society. People can experience discrimination based on their
race, ethnicity, language, country of origin, sexual orientation, ability, geographic
location, Aboriginal identity, among many others. This is by no means an
exhaustive list. Many people experience multiple discrimination in their lives.
Diversity:
A term used to encompass all the various differences among people including
race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, etc.
and commonly used in the United States and increasingly in Canada to describe
workplace programs aimed at reducing discrimination and promoting equality of
opportunity and outcome for all groups. Concern has been expressed by antiracism and race relations practitioners that diversity programs may water down
efforts to combat racism in all its forms.71
Equality:
As with many of the terms listed in this glossary, the term equality does not have
one solid, correct definition. In its broadest sense, equality is about creating a
society where everyone is treated fairly and equally, regardless of whom they are
or where they live. There are also specific types of equality, such as gender
equality (equality amongst all genders) or economic equality (promoting
sustainable incomes). The following is a definition of equality from the Disabled
Women’s Network of Ontario (DAWN Ontario): “The feminist principle of equality
and inclusion means, as feminist organizations, we apply a feminist analysis to
policies, programs, practices, services and legislation to ensure they are inclusive
of women and other marginalized groups. We advocate for equity practices to
eliminate the barriers to inclusion, recognizing that inclusion leads to equality.”72
Equity:
The following refers to employment equity: A program designed to remove
barriers to equality in employment by identifying and eliminating discriminatory
policies and practices, remedying the effects of past discrimination, and ensuring
appropriate representation of the designated groups.73
Ethnicity:
The multiplicity of beliefs, behaviours and traditions held in common by a group
of people bound by particular linguistic, historical, geographical, religious and/or
racial homogeneity. Ethnic diversity is the variation of such groups and the
presence of a number of ethnic groups within one society or nation. The word
"ethnic" is often used to denote non-dominant or less powerful cultural identities
in Canada.74
Exclusion:
There are many different ways to define exclusion. The following is a definition
from the Social Planning Council of Ottawa: We define exclusion as a dynamic,
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Everyone Belongs…
complex, and multi-dimensional process as a result of which certain groups find
themselves on the margins of society. This is demonstrated by outcomes of
lower economic status, combined with a lack of power to change these
outcomes. Exclusion is a process and an outcome. It is experienced at both the
individual and community level. Conversely, social inclusion assures each citizen
that he or she will be provided with the opportunity to fully participate in realizing
aspirations. Social inclusion relies on active civil participation to identify barriers
to access and to ensure that people have a collective sense of belonging to their
society.75
First Nations People:
Many people prefer to be called First Nations or First Nations People instead of
Indians. The term is not a synonym for Aboriginal Peoples because it doesn’t
include Inuit or Métis. The term First Nations People generally applies to both
Status and Non-Status Indians.76
Gender:
The societal roles and behaviours that are assigned to males and females at
birth. Usually a person’s gender is assigned, based on their genitals and
biological sex. Sometimes people identify with the gender they were assigned at
birth, whereas others do not.
Globalization:
Globalization can be seen as a set of processes which in part facilitate the easier
flow of materials, products, services, cultural symbols and practices and
communication between groups of people, communities and nations. While on
the one hand these processes bring people closer together, their speed and
intensity also create problems. For instance, trade is emphasized within
globalization, as the way in which people’s lives all over the world will be
improved.77 While trade is pushed, the social safety net provided by the
government is also eroded78.
Homophobia:
An irrational fear and/or hatred of same-sex attractions can be expressed through
prejudice, discrimination, harassment or acts of violence (known as "bashing")79
Immigrant:
An immigrant is someone who moves to Canada intending to stay permanently
(and have been granted the right to live in the country permanently by Canada as
landed immigrants). Immigrants come from all over the world: Asia, Africa,
Europe, North or South America, or Oceania..80
Inclusion:
The basic definition of inclusion means to include or involve. Inclusion is defined
differently by different individuals and groups. Here is one such definition for
social inclusion: “Social inclusion assures each citizen that they will be provided
with the opportunity to fully participate in realizing their aspirations. It implies that
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Everyone Belongs…
the state is prepared to assume responsibility for addressing barriers to that full
participation. Social inclusion relies on active civic participation to identify the
barriers to access and to ensure that people have a collective sense of belonging
to their society.”81
Intersectional Feminist Frameworks:
Intersectional Feminist Frameworks attempt to understand how multiple forces
work together and interact to reinforce conditions of inequality and social
exclusion82.
Intersectionality:
Intersectionality is a tool for analysis, advocacy and policy development that
addresses multiple discriminations and helps us understand how different sets of
identities impact on access to rights and opportunities.83
Inuit:
“Inuit are the Aboriginal People of Arctic Canada. Inuit live primarily in the
Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northern parts of Quebec and throughout
most of Labrador.”84 “The word Inuit means “the people” in Inuktitut and is the
term by which Inuit refer to themselves.”85
Marginalization:
“[…] the process of being "left out" of or silenced in a social group.”86 A person or
people can be left out because of their race, gender, class, geographic location,
age, HIV status, disability, ethnicity, immigrant status, refugee status, amongst
many others reasons. These are just a few examples.
Métis:
The word Métis is French for “Mixed Blood.” […] Historically, the term Métis
applied to the children of French Fur Traders and Cree women in the Prairies, of
English and Scottish traders and Dene women in the North and Inuit and British
in Newfoundland and Labrador. Today, the term is used broadly to describe
people with mixed First Nations and European ancestry who identify themselves
as Métis.87
People of Colour:
A term which applies to all people who are not seen as White by the dominant
group, generally used by racialized groups as an alternative to the term visible
minority. It emphasizes that skin colour is a key consideration in the "everyday"
experiences of their lives. The term is an attempt to describe people with a more
positive term than non-White or minority which frames them in the context of the
dominant group88. However, people of colour can be invisible as well, if their skin
colour is more light than others.
Racialized:
This word has been used in different ways by different people .In CRIAW’s Fact
Sheet on Women’s Experience of Racism, the term racialized was used to refer
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to anyone who experiences racism because of their race, skin colour, ethnic
background, accent, culture or religion, which includes people of colour,
Aboriginal peoples, and ethnic, linguistic, religious or cultural minorities who are
targets of racism.89
Racism:
Racism can be overt, subtle or structural. Overt racism can involve beating
people up, calling people names or excluding people because of their race or
ethnicity. Subtle racism involves identifying someone primarily on their race or
ethnicity instead of by their personality or achievements. Structural Racism refers
to the racism that is a part of every aspect of society. It comes in many forms but
a common example is the way that many companies and organizations conduct
their hiring processes. For instance, often times when the decision makers are
white men, they tend to hire other white men.90
Refugee:
A refugee is someone who moves to Canada under a special category
("refugee") because they are fleeing persecution or war in their own country.91
Sexism:
Discrimination or mistreatment based on a person’s sex. Historically, women
have faced systemic and overt sex discrimination, often based on rigid ideas of
male and female gender roles. Many women who face sex discrimination also
face other kinds of discrimination as well such as ableism, racism, etc., which
cause even greater degrees of exclusion.
Sexual Orientation:
This is a term that refers to whom we are sexually or romantically attracted to.
People can be attracted to those of the opposite sex (straight,), those of the
same sex (lesbian, gay), or to those of both sexes (bisexual). Sexual Orientation
is different from gender identity, which refers to whether a person identifies as a
man, woman, both or neither.
Social Justice:
There are many different ways that social justice has been defined. The following
definition seemed to be the most fitting for this resource: “[…] equal participation
in a democratic society, which allows for equal (and fair) distribution of resources
to all its members, who have a degree of self-determination &
interdependence.”92
Tokenism:
Tokenism is when a person is seen or expected to represent an entire group of
people. For example a lesbian woman may be expected to speak on behalf of all
lesbian women, or an African American woman expected to speak on behalf of
all African American women. As a participant in one of our intersectionality
workshops pointed out however, sometimes tokenism is more complicated than
this and people can become pigeon holed. For instance, often people make the
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Everyone Belongs…
assumption that immigrants to Canada are only interested in immigration issues.
Moreover, sometimes people are hired to fill positions, with or without the
conscious intent of having token representation from certain groups.
Transgendered (or trans):
An umbrella term that includes people who do not fit traditional male or female
roles and expectations, and/or who identify with a gender other than the one
assigned at birth (For Example, women who (identify) as men, or men who
(identify) as women). Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual
orientation. Individuals in the transgender community express themselves in
different ways. This can include adopting the clothing and/or behaviours of the
opposite or both genders, use of hormones and/or gender reassignment
surgery. 93
Two-Spirited:
The term Two Spirit is used to describe gender and sexual diversity among
Aboriginal cultures. It was adopted around 1990 by Aboriginal gays and lesbians
who chose to affirm their spiritual, cultural, and social rights within their
communities, and to make themselves distinct within the queer community94.
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Endnotes
1
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 3.
2
Collins, P. H. (2000). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of
nd
Empowerment. 2 ed.). New York: Rutledge. pp. 14-15.
3
Crenshaw, K. W. (1994). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, identity politics and Violence
against women of colour. In M.A. Fineman, and R. Mykitiuk (eds.). The Public Nature of Private
Violence. New York: Routledge. http://www.wcsap.org/Events/Workshop07/mapping-margins.pdf
Accessed May 20, 2009.
4
National Aboriginal Health Organization. (2008). An Overview of Traditional Knowledge and
Medicine and Public Health in Canada. Ottawa: Author, P. 3.
http://www.naho.ca/publications/tkOverviewPublicHealth.pdf Accessed, April 22, 2009.
5
Lorde, A. (2007). Sister Outsider: Essays & Speeches by Audre Lorde. Toronto: Crossing Press.
p. 114.
6
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2004). Intersectionality: A Tool for
Gender and Economic Justice. Toronto: AWID. p. 2. http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-andAnalysis/Library/Intersectionality-A-tool-for-Gender-and-Economic-Justice2
Accessed, April 22, 2009.
7
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 18.
8
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2006). Intersectional
Feminist Frameworks: An Emerging Vision. Ottawa: Author. p. 4.
9
Statistics Canada. (2006 Census). Median earnings of recent immigrants and Canadian-born
earners, both sexes, aged 25 to 54, with or without university degree, 2005, for Canada,
provinces and territories – 20% sample data. Ottawa, ON: Queen’s Printers.
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/earnings/Table802.cfm?GH=4&Lang=E
&O=A&SC=13&SO=99&T=802
Accessed, April 22, 2009.
10
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2004). Intersectionality: A Tool for
Gender and Economic Justice. Toronto: AWID. p. 5. http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-andAnalysis/Library/Intersectionality-A-tool-for-Gender-and-Economic-Justice2
Accessed, April 22, 2009.
11
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2006). Intersectional
Feminist Frameworks: An Emerging Vision. Ottawa: Author. p. 11.
12
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2006). Intersectional
Feminist Frameworks: An Emerging Vision. Ottawa: Author. p. 9.
13
Information about the Anti-racism conference came from the CRIAW Board meeting minutes
th
from June 19 , 1992.
14
Integrated Feminist Analysis was one of the terms CRIAW used at the time prior to using the
term intersectional feminist frameworks. Both terms refer to the same meaning.
45
Everyone Belongs…
15
This quote came from the minutes of CRIAW’s Annual General Meeting in November of 2004
under # 7. Message from incoming President-Jo-Anne Lee.
16
Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accessibility
Accessed, April 23, 2009.
17
Ibid, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/access.
18
Environics Research Group (2004). Canadian Attitudes Towards Disability Issues as cited in:
Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres (2005). Did You Know? Issue # 1: Cultural
Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
http://www.ilcanada.ca/upload/documents/FactSheet_Cultural.pdf
Accessed, April 23, 2009.
.
19
Council of Canadians with Disabilities (2004). Building an Inclusive and Accessible Canada:
Supporting People with Disabilities.
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/actionplan/accessible-canada
Accessed, April 23, 2009.
20
Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO) (2006). Living in Ottawa with a Disability.
Ottawa: SPCO. pp. 10-11.
21
Kingston Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Pride Month Pullout, Progressive
Independent Community Press (PIC Press). Page 17, June, 1998. E. MacDonald & T.
VanVierzen, In Defininitions and Myths. Human Rights Office, Queens University.
http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/tgts/tgts_myths.htm#whatisit Accessed, April 23, 2009.
22
Cope, A. & Darke, J. (1999). Trans Accessibility Project: Making Women’s Shelters Accessible
to Transgendered Women. http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/tap/index.html Accessed, April
23, 2009.
23
Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2006).A Place for All: A guide to Creating an inclusive
workplace. p. 2. http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/pdf/publications/aplaceforall.pdf Accessed, April 23,
2009.
24
Egale Canada (2003). Egale Intersections Committee.
th
http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&menu=40&item=304 Accessed June 24 , 2009.
25
Frank, F. & Smith, A. (1999). The Community Development Handbook: A Tool to Build
Community Capacity. Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada. p. 24.
http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/sid/cia/comm_deve/handbook.shtml Accessed, April
23, 2009.
26
Ibid, p. 94.
27
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 2.
28
Ibid, p. 94.
29
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2004). Intersectionality: A Tool for
Gender and Economic Justice. Toronto: AWID. p. 5. http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-andAnalysis/Library/Intersectionality-A-tool-for-Gender-and-Economic-Justice2
Accessed, April 22, 2009.
46
Everyone Belongs…
30
Frank, F. & Smith, A. (1999). The Community Development Handbook: A Tool to Build
Community Capacity. Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada. p. 97.
http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/sid/cia/comm_deve/handbook.shtml Accessed, April
23, 2009.
31
32
Ibid, p. 97.
Ibid, p. 97.
33
Ibid, p. 97.
34
Ibid, p. 97.
35
Ibid, p. 97.
36
Ibid, p. 97.
37
Ibid, p. 97.
38
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2004). Intersectionality: A Tool for
Gender and Economic Justice. Toronto: AWID. p. 5. http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-andAnalysis/Library/Intersectionality-A-tool-for-Gender-and-Economic-Justice2
Accessed, April 22, 2009.
39
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 22.
40
Women’s Health Research Network, “Summary and Notes: WHRN Workshop Research
Methodologies in Women’s Health Research”, Friday, November 25, 2005. p. 3 In Morris, M. &
Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A resource for
embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 22.
41
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. pp. 24-25.
42
Ibid, p. 24.
43
Ibid, p. 24.
44
Ibid, p. 23.
45
Ibid, p. 31.
46
Ibid, p. 31.
47
Ibid, p. 31.
48
Neal, R. (2004) Voices: Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada.. Ottawa: National AntiPoverty Association.
http://action.web.ca/home/narcc/attach/Women%2C%20Poverty%20and%20Homelessness%20i
n%20Canada.pdf Accessed, April 23, 2009.
49
Ibid.
50
Ibid.
47
Everyone Belongs…
51
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 32.
52
Pacific DAWN. In Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in
Research: A resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 33.
53
Morris, M. & Bunjun, B. (2007). Using Intersectional Feminist Frameworks in Research: A
resource for embracing the complexities of women’s live. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 22.
54
Ibid, p. 23.
55
Ibid, p. 23.
56
Ibid, p. 23.
57
Actual study, p. 8 http://edocs.lib.sfu.ca/projects/chodarr/documents/chodarr0865.pdf.
58
ibid, p. 8.
59
Information for this example came from the resource: Make Poverty History Manitoba (2008).
The Time for Patience is Over: Toward a Poverty Reduction Plan for Manitoba Discussion Paper.
http://spcw.mb.ca/files/file/MPHM%20Discussion%20Paper%20081203.pdf Accessed May 12,
2009.
60
Make Poverty History Manitoba (2008). The Time for Patience is Over: Toward a Poverty
Reduction Plan for Manitoba Discussion Paper.
http://spcw.mb.ca/files/file/MPHM%20Discussion%20Paper%20081203.pdf Accessed May 12,
2009.
61
This example was written by the Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO).
62
Information for this example came from a report entitled: SIA Poverty Forum Nov 2008:
Verbatim Record, which was prepared by Ashlee Smith for David Forbes, MLA Saskatchewan
Centre, January 2009.
63
McIntosh, P. (1988). White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See
Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies.Working Paper #189, Wellesley College
Center for Research on Women, Wellesley, MA 02181. To view the shortened version entitled:
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack see:
http://www.uakron.edu/centers/conflict/docs/whitepriv.pdf
Accessed, April 23, 2009.
64
First Nations Centre. (2007). Considerations and Templates for Ethical Research
Practices. Ottawa: National Aboriginal Health Organization. p. 2.
http://www.naho.ca/firstnations/english/documents/toolkits/FNC_ConsiderationsandTemplatesInfo
st
rmationResource.pdf Accessed, March 31 , 2009.
65
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accessibility Accessed June 23, 2009.
66
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
st
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/access Accessed, March 31 , 2009.
67
Morris, M. Watters, C., Dawson, V., Martin, C. M., Nicholson, C., Martin, L., Owen, M. K.
Sehgal, H. & Torres, S. with Charlebois, J. (2007). Integrating the Voices of low-income women
48
Everyone Belongs…
into policy discussions on the Canada social transfer: First Nations women in Vancouver,
Immigrant and Refugee women in Calgary and women with Disabilities in Winnipeg. Ottawa:
CRIAW. pp. 18-19.
68
Frank, F. & Smith, A. (1999). The Community Development Handbook: A Tool to Build
Community Capacity. Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada. p. 10
http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/sid/cia/comm_deve/H-BIntro.doc
st
Accessed, April 1 , 2009.
69
Pothier, D. (1992). Miles to Go: Some Personal Reflections on the Social Construction of
Disability. 14 Dal. L.J. 526.
70
Disabled Women’s Network of Ontario (DAWN Ontario). The Economics of Ability.
http://dawn.thot.net/economics_of_ability.html Accessed, April 23, 2009.
71
Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Glossary
http://www.crr.ca/component/option,com_glossary/task,list/glossid,70/letter,D/lang,english/
st
Accessed, April 1 , 2009.
72
Disabled Women’s Network Ontario (DAWN Ontario). Feminist Principles: The Feminist
st
Principle of Equality and Inclusion. Accessed April 1 , 2009..
73
Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Glossary.
http://www.crr.ca/component/option,com_glossary/task,list/glossid,70/letter,E/lang,english/
Accessed, April 23, 2009.
74
Ibid.
75
Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO) (2008). Mixed Blessings and Missed Opportunities:
the Intercase study on Inclusion and Exclusion of Ottawa’s Visible and Ethnic Minority residents.
Ottawa: SPCO.
76
National Aboriginal Health Organization. NAHO Glossary & Terms.
http://www.aidp.bc.ca/terminology_of_native_aboriginal_metis.pdf
st
Accessed, March 31 , 2009.
77
Marjorie Griffin Cohen et al, Globalization: Some Implications and Strategies for Women,
(National Action Committee on the Status of Women) In Canadian Research Institute for the
rd
Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2005). CRIAW Fact Sheet: Women & Poverty (3 ed.).
Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 9.
78
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2005). CRIAW Fact
rd
Sheet: Women & Poverty (3 ed.). Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 9.
79
Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youthline. Definitions: Sexuality: Homophobia.
http://www.youthline.ca/definitions/sexuality.html Accessed, March 31, 2009.
80
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2002). Fact Sheet:
Women's experience of racism: How race and gender interact. Ottawa: CRIAW
st
http://criaw-icref.ca/indexFrame_e.htm Accessed, March 31 , 2009.
81
Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO) (2008). Mixed Blessings and Missed Opportunities:
the Intercase study on Inclusion and Exclusion of Ottawa’s Visible and Ethnic Minority residents.
Ottawa: SPCO. p. 24.
49
Everyone Belongs…
82
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2006). Intersectional
Feminist Frameworks: An Emerging Vision. Ottawa: CRIAW. p. 5.
83
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (2004). Intersectionality: A Tool for
Gender and Economic Justice. Toronto: AWID. p. 1. http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-andAnalysis/Library/Intersectionality-A-tool-for-Gender-and-Economic-Justice2
Accessed, April 22, 2009.
83
National Aboriginal Health Organization. NAHO Glossary & Terms.
http://www.aidp.bc.ca/terminology_of_native_aboriginal_metis.pdf Accessed, April 23, 2009.
84
85
Ibid.
Ibid.
86
Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Glossary.
http://www.crr.ca/component/option,com_glossary/task,list/glossid,70/letter,M/lang,english/
st
Accessed, April 1 , 2009.
87
National Aboriginal Health Organization. NAHO Glossary & Terms.
http://www.aidp.bc.ca/terminology_of_native_aboriginal_metis.pdf Accessed, April 23, 2009.
88
Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Glossary.
http://www.crr.ca/component/option,com_glossary/task,list/glossid,70/letter,M/lang,english/
st
Accessed, April 1 , 2009.
89
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) (2002). Fact Sheet:
Women's experience of racism: How race and gender interact. Ottawa: CRIAW.
st
http://criaw-icref.ca/indexFrame_e.htm Accessed, March 31 , 2009.
90
Ibid.
91
Ibid.
92
Bell, L.A. (1997). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams, L.A. Bell, &
Griffin P. (Eds.) Reaching for diversity and social justice (p.3-15) New York: Routledge. In
Naidoo, Loshini (2007). Teaching for Social Justice: reflections from a core unit in a teacher
education program. Transnational curriculum Inquiry 4 (2).
http://nitinat.library.ubc.ca/ojs/index.php/tci. Accessed March 31st, 2009.
93
Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH) (2008). Gender Identity and Sexual
Orientation. Ottawa: CFSH. http://cfsh.ca/Your_Sexual_Health/Gender-Identity-and-SexualOrientation/Default.aspx
Accessed March 31, 2009.
94
Egale Canada (2004). Canadian Caucus for Two-Spirited and Queers of Colour, Egale
Canada. Toronto: Egale. http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?item=312 Accessed, April 23, 2009.
50
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